Make-and-break mechanism for electric switches



July I, 1930. c. s. DUTTON 'E AL v MAKE AND BREAK MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICSWITCHES Filed Dec. 7. 1925 INVENTORS C- $.DUTTOIV.

E. ALEXANDER.-

G. H. DERRICK ATTQRNEYS.

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' HCE' cHAnLns's. BUTTON, or OAKLAND, nennnr ALEXANDER, or senrnAnoIsco, AND

GEORGE H. DERRICK, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA; TBIX 0F SAID GEORGE DERRICK,DECEASED. MENTS, T0 INSTCGEAPH, LTII, A CDRIFOEA'I'ION VICTORY A.,DERRICK, EXECU- ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MAKIE-AND-BREAK MECHANISMFOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Application filed December The present inventionrelates'to improvements in make and break mechanism for electricswitches and its particular object is to provide a device ofthecharacter described by'which movement of the printing wheel of r astamping device may be caused to synchronize with movements of a clockmechanism so that numerals arranged on the printing wheel always showsurface.

It is further proposed to arrange the-make and break mechanism in such amanner that the opening of the switch takes place instantaneously afterthe closing thereof.

vFurther objectsand advantages'of our invention will appear as thespecification proceeds. I i The preferred form of our invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which I Figure 1 shows a topplan view of our mechanism. v a

Figure 2 a front view thereof.

Figure 3 a side view ofthe same.

While we have shown only the preferred form of theinvent-ion it shouldbe understood that various changes or modifications may be made withinthe scope of the claims hereto at-v tached without departing from thespiritof the invention.

The shaft 1 emanates from a clock mecha nism not shown in the drawingand the shaft 2 has a printing wheel fixed thereto which latter also isnot shown in the drawing.

The object of the present invention being to cause an electrical impulseto be imparted to the shaft 2 causing it to synchronize with the rotarymotion of the shaft 1 of theclock mechanism. Power for revolving theshaft 2 is supplied by the electro-magnet 3 which has an armature 4tpivoted relative thereto as shown at 6. A link 7 is pivoted to the freeend of the armature as at 8 and has a tooth 9 projecting therefrom whichlatter is adapted or engagement with the teeth of a toothed wheel 11fixed on the shaft 2; When the electro-magnet is energized the armatureis attracted and causes the link 7 'to move upwhich also forces the linkoutwardly due to the slanting faces of the meshing the correct time atthe exposed minute.

7,1925. Serial No. 73,535.

' is opposedby a spring 12 which latter serves to force the tooth on thelink inwardly as .soon as the same has passed the crest of'the wheeltooth responsibl for its outward movement. The upward stroke of thelink? is preferably made to exceed the length of a' tooth so thatpositive engagement of the link tooth with the next wheel tooth isalways as sured before the link is moved in the opposite direction foradvancing the wheel 11 by the length of one tooth. Reversal of themovement of the link 7 is brought about by the automatic opening of theswitch'13 by means to be described hereinafter and the spring 14 whichopposes the motion of the armature and forces the latter away from themagnet as'soon as the latter becomes de-energized.

The wheel 11 preferably has sixty teeth thereon and the:electro-magnetis, energized sixty times in an hour-so that each advancemovement of the wheel 11 means the passing of one The -make andbreak-mechanism for the switch 13 includes a ratchet wheel 16 on theshaft 17 which latter is revolved by the shaft 1 through the gear wheel18 and the pinion 19 in such a manner that the ratchet wheel advances bythe length of one tooth per minute. The direction of-rotationis'clockwise as shown in Figure 2, the switch comprising a stationerycontact 21' and a movable contact 22 mounted at the end of. a leafspring 23 oneend of'which is fixed to a block 24of insulating material.An intermediate portion of the spring near the con-' tact 22 is opposedby a lug 26 projecting laterally from the free'end of the leverv 27,pivoted at'a distance from the stationary contact 21 as shown at '28.The lever arm 7 justmentioned extends upwardly and has pivoted to itsupper'end, as shown at 29 a link 31 provided with a tooth 32 adapted toengage with and rest 'on any one of the teeth of the toothed memberl6,'a leaf spring 38 tending to crowd the tooth ofthe link intoengagement with the 'teethof the ratchet. is gradually forced outof theouter periphas viewed in Figure 2 the tooth ofthe link As the ratchetrevolvesin'clockwise direction pinion 19 and is electro-magnet theretowhich causes ery of the ratchet, hence and since the tooth 32 is theonly support for the lever 27 the latter drops while the link 31 ridesdownwardly over the teeth of the ratchet and allows the spring switch 23of which this cont-act 22 is a part to move downwardly bringing intoengagement contact 22 with the contact 21 whereby the switch is closed.

The closing of the switch energizes the electro-magnet 3 and bringsabout the endwise motion of the link 7 previously reterred to. While thelink 7 climbs upwardly and is forced outwardly by the slanting face ofthe tooth engaged by the same, its upward end just clears a finger 34:projecting from a lever 27 so as to assume the position as indicated indotted lines in Figure 2 when the tooth 9 passes thetop of the wheeltooth'engaged by it. After the link tooth has passed the wheel tooth itis forced inwardly again by the action of the spring 12 for engagementwith the next tooth and during this inward motion of the link 7 itsupper end forces the finger 34 of tee lever 27 inwardly thereby turningthe entire lever aboutits pivot 28 and liiting the link 31 sufiicientlyto cause its tooth 32 to engage with the next ratchet tooth while at thesame time the switch opened by the lug 26 raises the spring switch 23.To prevent any tendency of the ratchet to revolve in the oppositedirection due to the fact that the link 31 rides upwardly on the teethduring the switch opening movement we provide a pawl 38 which engageswith the positioned to drop behind a new tooth prior to the upwardmovement of the link 31.

The operation of the device is as follows The shaft 1 revolved by aclock mechanismnot shown transmits rotary motion through the gear wheel18 and the pinion 19 to the shaft 17 in such a manner that the toothedwheel or ratchet 16 on the said shaft rotates by the length of one toothper minute. As theratchet revolves the tooth 32 on the link 31 whichrests on one of the teeth of the ratchet is gradually forced outwardlyby the next tooth and finally at the end of the minute is knocked off sothat the link rides downwardly on the wheel and allows the lever 27 todrop and the switch 13 to close. r

The closing of the switch energizes the attracts the armature the link 7to rise. motion the tooth 9 riding on the slanting face of one of theteeth ofthe wheelll is forced outwardly until it passes the point of thetooth and this upward and outward motion of they link 7 brings its upperend into the dotted line position. for engagement with the finger 3After having passed the point ,of the tooth During this rising on thewheel 11 the tooth 9 is allowed to go inwardly again and this inwardmotion causes the upper end of the link to turn the lever 27 about itspivot whereby the switch 13 is opened. This inward motion further bringsabout an engagement of the link tooth 9 with the next tooth on the wheel11. The opening of the switch de-energizes the electro-magnet 13 and thearmature is forced away from the magnet by the spring 14 which movementcauses the lever 7 to revolve the wheel 11 by the length of one tooth.It will be seen that in this manner the switch is closed once everyminute, and opened again, which opening brings about a correspondingturning motion of the wheel 11 which latter is provided with sixtyteeth'so that it carries out a complete revolution in one hour. a

It is understood that while thepreterred impul e is sixty times per hourthe intervalsmay be varied to give the electrical impulse at intervalsof verymuch greater or very much less frequency either regular orirregular in'spacing, and the ratio of desired action to actualestablished contact made by the spring switch may be varied to anydesired degree. 7

We claim:

1. in combination, a. rotating ratchet wheel, a stationary switchcontact, a movable switch contact in operative relation to saidstationary contact; an electro-me gnet, means for actuating said movablecontact, said means being held by said ratchet wheel, and released bythe rotation of said wheel; said movable contact engaging saidstationary contact upon therelease of said means, thereby energizingsaid electro-magnet, means actuated by the energized electro-magnet foropening said switclnand means to transmit the movement of theelectro-magneu'to a driven shaft, said means being actuated by thereturn movement of said switch opening means when said magnet isale-energized.

2. In combination, a rotating ratchet wheel, a stationary switchcontact, a movable switch contact in operative relation to saidstationary contact; an electro-magnet, resilient means forfactuatingsaid movable contact, said means being held by said ratchet wheel, andreleased by the rotation of said wheel; said movable contact engagingsaid stationary contact upon the release of said means, therebyenergizing said electro-magnet, resilient means actuated by theenergized electro-magnet for opening said switclnand means to transmitthe movement of the electro-magnet,to a driven shaft said means beingactuated by the return movement, of said switch opening means when saidmagnet is V (lo-energized. V I

3. In combination, a rotating wheel having notches on the peripherythereof, a stationary switch contact, a movable switch contact, means toconnect said movable contact with a notch of said wheel to be held inopen switch upon the rotation of said notched wheel; an electro-magnetenergized by the closing of said switch, means actuated by the movementof the electro-magnet when energized, to bring said connecting means inengagement with another notch on said wheel, thereby opening saidmovable switch contact, means for returning said electromagnet actuatedmeans when the opening of said movable contact causes the electro-magnetto be ole-energized, and means for trans, mitting the movement of saidelectro-mag net, to a driven shaft said last means being operated by thereturning movement of said magnet actuated means, in synchronism withthe rotation of said notched wheel.

t. In combination, a rotating ratchet wheel, stationary switch contact,a movable switch contact in operative relation to said sta-i tionarycontact; an electro-magnet, means for moving said movable. contact, saidmeans being held by the ratchet wheel and being lowered by the rotationofsaid wheel so as to lower said movable contact upon the stationarycontact, for energizing the electromagnet; a link pivoted to the. freeend ofa resiliently mounted armature of said electromagnet and having atooth projecting there from; a toothed wheel adapted to rotateatransmission shaft and being disposed in operative relation to saidtooth of the link; said link being moved upwardly and outwardly by thearmature when the electromagnet is energized so as to bring said tooththereon in engagement with a successive toot-h I of the toothed wheel;and resilient means for I. a stationary switch causing said link toseparate said contacts at 2 the end of the upward movement ofthe link,

thereby causing, the de-energizing of said electro-magnet and the returnmovement of said link, thus turning said toothed wheel.

5. In combination, a rotating ratchet wheel, contact, a movable'switchcontact in operative relation to said stationary contact; anelectro-magnet, a pivoted lever for moving said movable contact into andout of engagement with said stationary contact, means for connectingsaid lever to the ratchet wheel, said means being lowered by therotation of said wheel so as to lower said movable contact upon thestationary contact for energizing the electronnagnet; an

armature of said electro-magnet being resilientlymounted thereon; a linkpivotallysecured to the free end of the armature and having a toothprotruding therefrom; a toothed wheel adapted to rotate a transmissionshaft and being disposed inoperative relation to said tooth or the linkso as to allow the engagement of a successive. wheel a tooth by saidlink tooth when said link is moved upwardly and outwardly by the actionof the energizedelectro-magnet; and resiliinto and'out of engagementwith said stationary contact, means for connecting said lever totheratchet wheel, said means being lowered by the rotation of said wheel soas to lower said movable contact upon the stationary contact forenergizing the electromagnet; ail-armature of-said electro-magnet beingresiliently mounted thereon; a link v pivotally secured to the free endof the armature and having a tooth prot-miding therefrom, a toothedwheel adapted to rotate a transmission shaft and being disposed inoperative relation to said tooth of the link so as to all'ow theengagement of a successive wheel toothby said link tooth when said linkismoved upwardly and outwardly by the action of the energizedelectro-magnet; a

linger on the free end of the link;' and a spring-for pressing saidfinger into engagement with the end ofthe pivoted lever after theupwardand outward movement of the link, thereby raising said lever in a switchopening posit-ion; the link tooth turning the toothed wheel when thelink ismoved downwardly by the armature of the deenergizedelectro-magnet.

7. In combination a rotating ratchet wheel,

"a pivoted lever, a link pivotally related tothe it'ree end of the leverand engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel, a stationary contact, amovable contact supported by the free end of the-lever and above thestationary contact, an electromagnet, an armature-pivotally related tothe magnet at one of its ends, a linkpivotally'related to the armatureat the other of its ends, a toothed wheel, a tooth carriedby the linkcapable of slidable engagement with the teeth of the wheel, a spring forurging the link inwardly of the teeth of the wheel, a lug lying in thepath of the inward movement of the link for rocking the free end of thelever upwardly upon its pivot.

8. In combination a rotating ratchet wheel, a pivoted lever, a linkpivotally related to the free end of the lever forengaging the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel, a spring for urging the link into engagement with theratchet wheel, a stationary contact, a movable contact supported by thefree end of the lever and above the stationaryfcontact, anelectromagnet, an

armature pivotally related'to the magnet at one of its ends, a linkpivotally related to the armature at the other of its ends, a

toothed'wheel, a tooth carried by the link by the lever to one side andbelow the pivotal V and capable of slidable engagement with the teeth ofthe wheel, a spring for urging the link inwardly of the teeth of thewheel, a lug carried by the lever and lying in the path of the inwardmovement of the link for rocking the free end of the lever upwardly uponits pivot.

9. In combinationa rotating ratchet wheel, a pivoted lever, a linkpivotally related to the free end ofthe lever for engaging the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel, a spring for urging the link into engagement with theratchet wheel, a stationary contact, a movable contact supported by thefree end of the leverand above a the stationary contact, anelectromagnet, an

armature pivotally related to the magnet at one of its ends, a linkpivotally'related to the armature at the other of its ends, a toothedwheel, a tooth carried by the link and capable of slidabl eengagementwith the teeth of the wheel, a spring for urging the link inwardly ofthe teeth of the wheel, a lug carried point thereof and lying in thepath of the inward movement of the last mentioned link for rotating thelever upon its pivot.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CHARLES S. DUTTON. EGBERT ALEXANDER. GEORGE H. DERRICK.

